Trump identifies Korean War soldiers’ remains returned by North Korea

U.S. Air Force photo

Members of the United Nations Command Honor Guard move dignified transfer cases through one C-17 Globemaster III to another during a repatriation ceremony at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 1, 2018.

On the ground to verify the transition of the remains was Dr. John Byrd, who heads the analysis effort for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, or DPAA, the Pentagon unit tasked with identifying the remains.

“The North Korean officials which we spoke to were very forthcoming as well as also candid with us as well as also a couple of things they told us was which these were remains believed to be American as well as also through the Korean War,” Byrd told reporters at the Pentagon in August.

“They also, though, were clear with us which they couldn’t be sure with how many individuals were represented in each box,” Byrd added.

Read more: Remains returned through North Korea ‘consistent’ with being American as well as also through the Korean War, Pentagon says

Kelly McKeague, director of the DPAA, was also on hand to brief reporters on the identification process.

“One [question] which none of us have been able to get a definitive answer to will be how many they [North Koreans] possess,” McKeague said in regard to the potential U.S. remains held in which country.

Byrd noted which each box was accompanied by a paragraph of text in Korean which included information such as dates as well as also geographical locations. During Byrd’s preliminary assessment he found the remains were “consistent” with being those of Americans as well as also through the Korean War.

Approximately 7,700 U.S. soldiers are listed as missing through the 1950-53 Korean War.